TrustedHousesitters and Rover

About 1.5 years ago (December 2022) we started pet/housesitting. In writing this I realized we need to write one or two more posts related to why we started pet sitting, but for now I’ll just tackle the “how.” We pet sit through two programs – TrustedHousesitters (TH) and Rover. In both programs pet sitters and owners have profiles, and like everything these days, a rating system for sitters (primarily) and owners. Beyond those things, they have very different business models.

On TH, pet owners and sitters both pay an annual fee to be part of the program (~$100-200/year), and both create profiles in the app. Owners’ profiles include details on pet-related responsibilities as well as photos and perks of their home and location. When an owner needs a sitter, they create a listing for the specific dates and potential sitters “apply” for the pet sit. No money is exchanged for pet sitting. TH started in the UK, and has expanded internationally. In general not as many people know about the program. There are geographic pockets where it seems to have spread through word of mouth, but in other areas it’s virtually non-existent. Pet owners in the program tend to be going out of town for longer periods of time (1 week to 1 month), have older pets, and/or live in desirable vacation destinations. Pet sitters are a mix of couples and individuals in their 30s to 70s.

Rover was originally an app for dog walking, but now covers more services including overnight pet sitting, drop-in visits, and in-home boarding. Pet sitters create a profile, set their own rates for services, and manage their availability with an online calendar. Sitters are paid for the service (minus Rover’s 20% cut). There are a lot more sitters on Rover than TH, that are primarily individuals with a much younger average age (teens to 30s). I think this is in part because you only pay a one-time fee ($35) to be in the program forever, and because it was originally for dog walking. Pet owners create a simple profile with very basic information about their pet, and nothing about their home. Owners contact potential sitters. Rover tends to be people looking for shorter (up to 1 week), often last minute stays.

“Rover” isn’t a great name for the program anymore. Primarily because it now covers services for dogs and cats. Second, which is applicable to us, is that “to rove” also means “to travel constantly without a fixed destination; wander.” The app, however, is not designed for changing locations, and is still catered to localized dog walking. As a sitter I’m limited to a maximum 100-mile radius from a specific address, and it has to be the same address for dog walking or sitting. I also can’t set a current and future location.

So there’s no way we could piece together a full-time gig with Rover. But I keep my profile updated, reduce the travel radius, and increase the nightly rate as we travel just in case. While in Park City we ended up with our first two Rover sits outside Raleigh! The first was watching a dog for three nights about 5 miles from our home base TH sit in a new suburb west of Park City. Since we already had a full-time sit, Jeremy stayed with Snoop & Zo (see him in his happy place in the cover photo!), and I stayed with Gracie (see picture below).

The second one was essentially babysitting a dog (see Jeremy & Lyell below) for five hours while the family went to dinner. Sure, I’ll take $100 to sit on your couch and watch TV with your chill dog at a ski-in/ski-out house. It’s crazy to me that someone would pay that much for pet sitting, but someone has to fill that top-tier 🙂

Joking aside, pet sitting has been unexpectedly rewarding on a personal level. Paid or unpaid, the owners have all been genuinely grateful and appreciative, and it always feels like we’re doing them a huge favor.

It’s been fun Park City! In a couple days we’re heading to the other side of the Utah mountains for a week long sit and some backcountry skiing!